With the calendar quickly approaching July, it looks more and more likely that the Mets are going to be sellers at the deadline. They fell to 14 games under .500 after losing Sunday’s game against the Phillies, and two of three versus their division rival for the second consecutive weekend. The Mets were competitive in both losses, but their execution, particularly with runners in scoring position, proved to be the difference.

In Sunday’s loss, the Mets were 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 14 men on base. Not ideal, especially in a one-run loss. That being said, the two hits in those situations came from Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing. Benge got the Mets on the board with a single to left field in the fifth. An inning later, Ewing came off the bench to tie the game with a pinch-hit two-run home run.

Benge got off to a slow start in March and April. But since the start of May, he is slashing .286/.348/.441 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs across 233 plate appearances. Benge has been hitting leadoff for an extended period now, looking more comfortable in that role with each at-bat. In 47 games, he is hitting .279 with a .753 OPS at the top of the order.

Like Benge, Ewing experienced some ups and downs immediately after being promoted to the big leagues. But as the days and weeks have passed, his results have significantly improved at the plate. In June, Ewing is now slashing .310/.379/.500 after his home run against the Phillies. Great offensive numbers to go along with his strong defense in center field.

“I feel like when I’m at my best, my at-bats end with one or two swings. I’ve been feeling more like myself recently,” Ewing said postgame.

It has been a messy season for the Mets across the board. Envisioning being 35-49 and last in the National League East in the final week of June would have felt impossible at the start of the year. Yet, here we are. The chances of the Mets getting back into the playoff hunt seem slim to none. But even if they fail to do that, there have been some silver linings to this season. One of which is the emergence of Benge and Ewing, who look like two young guys who could be difference-makers for a very long time.