Which Mets players are trending up, down at MLB All-Star break?

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."

From 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:

Mets players trending up:

A.J. Ewing is catching fire this summer

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.

Juan Soto is the brightest spot

The 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.

In 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.

Nolan McLean has been strong down the stretch

After 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 runs in six innings, McLean has allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven outings.

The 25-year-old closed out his first half with three straight quality starts, including two with no earned runs and six innings as he chiseled his ERA to 3.52. In 19 starts this season, McLean is 6-6 with a 1.12 WHIP and 125 strikeouts in 107⅓ innings.

Luke Weaver has been a dream for bullpen

There might not be a more desirable bullpen arm at the trade deadline than Weaver, who stretched his run of scoreless innings and outings to 27 and 25, respectively, with another perfect frame on Sunday. Weaver gave up his first run when an automatic runner crossed on July 6 against the Braves but ended up registering his first save of the season.

The right-hander, who is 2-1 with a 1.85 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 43 strikeouts in 39 innings, will be sought after by contending teams, but the presence of another year of team control at $11 million could make his cost interesting.

Mets players trending down:

Freddy Peralta has not been as advertised

The Mets continue to fail to get the top-of-rotation production they had hoped to from Peralta. The 30-year-old right-hander has struggled to put batters away and issuing walks or coming over the plate, and is suffering damage in the process. Peralta has not lasted beyond five innings in any of his last six starts. In those outings, he has given up a combined 19 earned runs on 35 hits and 12 walks.

Peralta continues to strike out batters - he has 104 strikeouts in 104⅓ innings - but his 4.38 FIP is the highest of his career and 1.44 WHIP is his highest since 2019.

Francisco Lindor hasn't come alive yet

It appeared Lindor had finally supplied the offensive spark that the Mets had been looking for, but then the veteran shortstop committed a costly error in the ninth inning of Sunday's 3-2 extra-inning loss.

Since Lindor returned from the injured list with a calf injury, he is slashing .200/.273/.400 with three home runs, seven RBI and eight runs in 16 games. It's not total non-productive from one of the core members of the Mets offense, but it is another key slow ramp-up for a lineup that sorely needs his explosive bat.

Tobias Myers riding minor-league shuttle

There had been high hopes about the lift Myers could provide when he was acquired as part of the offseason trade that also brought over Peralta from the Brewers, but the 27-year-old has not been able to regain his form after a strong start in April.

Myers, who can provide length out of the bullpen or another starting option, hasn't been able to get a foothold in the Mets system and has been optioned back and forth three times. Since being called up for the second time in mid-June, Myers has allowed 17 earned runs on 22 hits and six walks in 12⅔ innings.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Which Mets players are trending up, down at MLB All-Star break?