​As the Mets face-planted into the All-Star break with another troubling implosion in their first-half finale, it was impossible for the members of the club to complete any positive spin.In Francisco Lindor’s eyes, the Mets’ performance, which finds them at 17 games under .500 at the season’s intermission, is “unacceptable.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFrom interim manager Andy Green’s perspective, they are lacking execution.It has amounted to one of the Mets’ worst opening halves in franchise history.”There’s going to be a message walking out the door here today, but in general, I think everybody understands what needs to happen going into the second half,” Green said. “There’s cleaner, better baseball for us to play. We all bear a measure of responsibility for it, and this organization, the fan base deserves better baseball.”Some players have performed better than others down the stretch in the first half. Here are those who have outperformed the mean and those who have struggled entering the second half:AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNew York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) celebrates during a game against the Boston Red Sox at CitiField, Jul 12, 2026, Flushing, NY, USA.Green made the move that everyone saw coming on July 2 when he moved Ewing into the leadoff spot, and the 21-year-old rookie has filled that role seamlessly. In eight games in the top spot in the lineup, Ewing is 10-for-33 (.303) with two home runs, four RBI, eight runs and two doubles.Ewing caught fire in the month of June, slashing .300/.379/.478 with three home runs, seven doubles, 13 RBI and 10 runs. He enters the break with a .276 batting average and .789 OPS in 57 games, and his 1.9 bWAR is second on the team behind Soto.Jul 9, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates his solo home run against the Kansas City Royals with teammates in the dugout during the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesThe superstar outfielder forced his way on to the National League All-Star team, where he will bat second in the starting lineup, with a dynamic offensive finish to the first half.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the month of June, Soto slashed .286/.429/.500 with four home runs, 10 RBI and 11 runs. In 11 games in July, Soto has packed a punch with four home runs, 12 RBI and six runs. Soto is second in the NL to the Nationals’ James Wood in OPS (.967) and on-base percentage (.405). He has 21 home runs and 51 RBI and 55 walks to 43 strikeouts in 78 games.Jun 30, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn ImagesAfter some rocky starts in May saw McLean’s ERA drift up to 4.40, the rookie right-hander has had only one hiccup in seven starts since the calendar turned to June. Aside from a start where he allowed six earned ru