​PHILADELPHIA — Juan Soto was all smiles a few hours before Monday night’s MLB Home Run Derby, soaking in the atmosphere as the Mets’ lone All-Star representative.It was a reminder that, even amid a trying year for the cellar-dwelling Mets, Soto is delivering a season worth celebrating.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHis .967 OPS ranks second in the National League. So does his .405 on-base percentage. He’s hitting .290 with 21 home runs.The result is Soto’s fifth All-Star appearance, and his first with the Mets after last year’s snub. The 27-year-old has now been an All-Star for all four teams he’s played for.“On every team that I’ve been part of, I’ve been giving my 100%,” Soto said Monday. “I’ve been giving everything that I have, and to be recognized with an All-Star Game, it’s really cool.”Soto is set to start in left field and bat second for the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRight now, Soto says he’s “not thinking about anything else but enjoying the show.”But Soto knows the Mets, now 40-57 and 12.0 games out of a playoff spot, will resume their season in the very same ballpark on Thursday night, when they’re set to begin a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.“I’ve been trying my best to win games, to help my team. Definitely, it’s not easy,” Soto said.“I know how hard my teammates are working. I appreciate that they come in day in and day out. They never stop. They keep grinding. They try to find a way every day. Nothing else I can ask for. … We haven’t gotten to the spot we want to be. It feels like a little bit of failure. I’ve got to keep going. I’ve got to get better, and I’ve got to try harder.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat Soto is the only All-Star on a roster with a $380 million payroll is a testament to how much has gone wrong for the Mets this year.Francisco Lindor missed two months with a calf strain. Bo Bichette got off to a slow start in his first season with the team. Nolan McLean, Devin Williams and Freddy Peralta have all endured uneven seasons.“I feel like everybody needs a couple of days off after a tough stretch,” Soto said. “To get the days off and kind of, like, start over, I think it’s gonna be good for the guys.”The MLB trade deadline is only three weeks away, and more veterans could follow left-hander David Peterson — traded to the Chicago Cubs last month — out of Queens.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Mets are at serious risk of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row, both with Soto, who signed a 15-year, $765 million contract before the 2025 season.But Soto isn’t giving up hope just yet.“Keep believing. We’re gonna turn things around,” Soto said in a message to Mets fans. “We have a lot of talent, we have a lot of players that can be elite, so don’t give up on them. We’re gonna turn this bac