Newest Nationals reliever Brad Lidge joined “The Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan and was optimistic about the ball club’s season, especially rookie sensation Bryce Harper.

Lidge, who has played in two World Series’, has been impressed with the Harper after a couple of weeks of spring training in Viera, Fl.

“I’ve seen him take BP a couple of times, and the ball really does jump off his bat. It’s a little different,”  Lidge said.  ”And not just that, I think he’s light-years ahead maturity wise in terms of baseball maturity and understanding the strike zone and having some plate discipline,” he added.

He also commented that Harper has all the talent in place and would like to see him as soon as possible on the big league roster.

Listen to the full Brad Lidge interview with “The Sports Junkies” below: