Key keywords: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies, 2024 MLB Season, home run, hitting slump, postseason push, MLB player performance, Citizens Bank Park, National League East For weeks, Philadelphia Phillies fans and baseball analysts alike have been asking one question: when will Bryce Harper return to his MVP form? The 31-year-old two-time National League MVP has endured one of the most frustrating slumps of his career through the first four months of the 2024 MLB regular season, posting a .228 batting average, .742 OPS, and just 12 home runs through 97 games entering Tuesday’s matchup against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. That all changed in the bottom of the eighth inning, when Harper crushed a 96 mph four-seam fastball 427 feet over the right-field bleachers for a two-run home run that broke a 3-3 tie and lifted the Phillies to a 5-3 win, ending his 17-game home run drought in dramatic fashion. The hit had an exit velocity of 112.3 mph, the second-hardest ball Harper has hit all season, a sign that the raw power that made him one of the most feared hitters in the league is finally starting to translate to game action after months of mechanical adjustments following his 2023 Tommy John surgery recovery. Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters after the game that he has seen steady progress in Harper’s swing over the past three weeks, even when the hits weren’t falling. “He’s been squaring balls up left and right, he just had some bad luck with hard hits going right to defenders,” Thomson said. “That home run isn’t a surprise to anyone in this clubhouse. We knew it was only a matter of time before he broke out.” The timing could not be better for the Phillies, who currently sit third in the National League East, 2 games back of the final wild card spot with 65 games left on the schedule. After missing the World Series by one game in 2023, the Phillies have struggled to find consistency in the middle of their lineup this season, with Harper’s slump standing as the biggest gap in their offensive production. Harper’s legendary 2022 postseason run, where he hit 6 home runs and posted a 1.196 OPS to lead the Phillies to their first National League pennant in 13 years, is still fresh in the minds of fans, who are hopeful that Tuesday’s home run is the start of a similar hot streak down the stretch. MLB analyst Jessica Mendoza noted on Wednesday’s edition of Baseball Tonight that Harper’s improved swing mechanics over the past 10 games suggest the home run is not a one-off. “He’s no longer overcompensating for his elbow, which was causing him to pull off of balls away earlier in the season,” Mendoza explained. “If he stays locked in, he’s capable of hitting 15 more home runs before the end of the regular season and carrying this offense to the playoffs.” The Phillies will face a tough test of their momentum this weekend, when they host the division-leading Atlanta Braves for a three-game series, with Harper expected to bat third in the lineup for all three contests.