WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The calendar reads March 4, and the Nationals are still World Series champions.

It also means we're near the halfway point of Spring Training, as the club prepares its title defense with Opening Day set for March 26.

Though the Nationals have been easing themselves back into action after an extended 2019, hitters and pitchers alike believe one guy has impressed the most so far this spring: Joe Ross.

Below is a breakdown of guys who received at least one vote in our clubhouse poll consisting of seven players:

Joe Ross, RHP
With the fifth spot in the rotation up for grabs, the 26-year-old Ross has started building a strong case for the job. Through two spring starts, he has gone five scoreless innings of one-hit ball with two strikeouts and one walk. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2017, Ross made just three starts in '18 and appeared in 27 regular-season MLB games (nine starts) in '19. He came on in relief in Game 3 of the World Series and started Game 5.

"Joe's coming in, and looks like he's in great shape. His stuff's just jumping out of his hands. I'm excited to see what he has going in the tank this year. We both had Tommy John surgery, so I tried to be there for him as much as possible. You can see the progression is so similar with a lot of Tommy John guys where the velo comes back, everything's good and then it's breaking pitches. I think that's the one thing is you see the slider's back." -- Stephen Strasburg

"We played behind him once at least [this spring]. I think Joe's been throwing the ball really well. I think you saw [Monday] he threw again and still has a 0.00 ERA. I know stats don't really matter in Spring Training. I faced him in live ABs and felt he looked pretty good. It would be nice to see him take the next step. I think he would be really good for us." -- Trea Turner

Juan Soto, LF
Sure, Soto became the breakout star of the 2019 Fall Classic with three homers, but that doesn't stop teammates -- both new and old -- from marveling at the talented 21-year-old. In his first postseason, he slashed .277/.373/.554 with a .927 OPS. Despite that success, Soto remains hungry, stating his mentality this spring is, "You've got to make the team." On Tuesday against the O's, he produced a two-run double, walked twice and recorded an outfield assist.

"Soto is pretty easy. For his age and what he does, just even watching him hit BP, it's impressive. My bat doesn't sound like his. I don't think many people's do. It's fun to watch." -- Adam Eaton

"I would say watching Soto hit. I've seen him hit on the field, stuff like that, but seeing his routine and how hard he works and prepares for games, it's pretty impressive to see somebody that young [do that]." -- Eric Thames

Max Scherzer, RHP
Had a pair of injured list stints not derailed him, Scherzer might've won his third National League Cy Young Award with the Nationals (fourth overall) in 2019. He still managed to be a finalist for the honor, posting a 2.92 ERA and Major League-best 2.45 FIP. Then Scherzer's gutsy showing in Game 7 of the World Series helped the Nationals hoist the trophy. One of the game's best doesn't have much left to prove, but you couldn't tell by his work ethic. Scherzer was hitting mid-90s velocity in his spring debut and continues to be a strikeout machine, with 12 in 8 1/3 Grapefruit League innings, including the two innings he pitched before his Feb. 22 start got rained out.

"I'd probably say Max, just because for as much as he pitched last year and deep into the year, to come out and start the first game of Spring Training and already be trying to work his pitch count and get his work in this early in camp, I think it's not something you see a lot from a defending World Series champion." -- Will Harris