Harper launches 40th HR to join elite company

The Washington Nationals may be fading out of the National League playoff picture, but Bryce Harper is making a late push to capture his first MVP award.

Harper belted his 40th homer of the season Wednesday off Philadelphia Phillies hurler Justin De Fratus in the seventh inning.

Harper was kind enough to later sign the ball for the Phillies fan who caught his milestone ball.

(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)

The outfielder has four homers in his last three games and is just the second player in Nationals history (Alfonso Soriano is the other) to reach the 40-homer plateau.

"It's been remarkable," teammate Jayson Werth said about Harper's breakout season. "I'm proud of him. He has come a long way in a short period of time. I can't say enough good things about him. He has become a superstar right in front of our eyes. But I think he has a lot to learn and long way to go, too. When he is 30 years old, he is going to be one hell of a player."

Harper is the seventh player in history to enjoy a 40-homer campaign by age 22:

Bench, Mathews, DiMaggio, and Ott all went on to enjoy Hall of Fame careers, while Rodriguez would likely be destined for Cooperstown if not for his history with performance-enhancing drugs.

Harper is the first NL slugger to reach 40 homers, but Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is hot on his trail with 39.