NOT all the focus is centered on Boston during the first weekend following the All-Star break.

Eyes are locked on Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran. Mike Piazza is taking most of the superstar heat here, but the bottom line is that Beltran has to start acting like the player the baseball world saw last October.

Scholarship is over. The free pass is punched.

It’s time to get to work, Carlos. It’s time to start hitting the baseball and become Carlos BELT-ran again.

You know, the same guy that was punishing the baseball for the Astros in the postseason when he blasted eight home runs in 46 at-bats, a 2004 version of Reggie Jackson.

That’s the center fielder the Mets needed last night against the Braves at Shea Stadium, the player who picked up four hits in Thursday’s win, not the one who went hitless in four at-bats in Friday’s loss.

Beltran has to show consistency, not just hit when Pedro Martinez is on the mound. Enough about the strained quad that Beltran suffered May 21. If Beltran is healthy enough to start, he’s healthy enough to produce in a big way and Beltran knows it is time to start producing.

Beltran is disappointed with his production so far this season. He knows he hasn’t been the player advertised by agent Scott Boras, but he also knows he is just beginning his Mets career. Better days are ahead.

“I’m just looking to play at the top of my ability,” said Beltran, who went into last night’s game batting .272. “This first half was a little bit difficult for me because I played a month and a half with a sore leg.”

Beltran insists he is healthy now.

“I’m 100 percent and I want to do the things that I do,” he explained. “Like get on base, steal bases, create runs. Those are the things that make me the player that I am.”

Beltran has only gotten over his leg injury in the past two weeks. He has hit safely in six of his last seven games and last night he was going up against Tim Hudson, who has been out with a pulled muscle in his side.

Beltran, like Piazza, was voted to be a starter in the All-Star Game and much like Piazza, he was given this trip on past accomplishments, not on what he has done this season. Beltran has only four stolen bases. Last season he compiled 42. In the divisional series last year against the Braves, he stole four bases in five games, so you begin to understand how much the injury has slowed him down.

Still, Beltran came with a monster reputation and monster paycheck; the time for excuses is past.

“We need to win the one-run games,” Beltran said of the Mets’ woes, fresh off a one-run loss Friday night. The Mets are 11-13 in one-run decisions. If they had come up with five more wins in those one-run games, they’d be neck-and-neck with the Braves for the wild card.

“Sometimes we have the lead in the seventh or eighth and it gets away from us,” Beltran noted. “I do believe that if we start winning those games we’re going to be in great shape.

“We also need to focus more on the little game, steal bases, manufacture runs, do the little things,” Beltran said, “because our team is not a team that hits a lot of home runs.”

Beltran has 10 home runs. The Mets have 92, eighth-best in the National League.

The Mets went into last night’s game 45-45. “We’re better than a .500 team,” Beltran insisted. “We’re looking forward to being the team in our division and move on.

“I do believe we can make the playoffs,” he added. “I believe we have the potential to do it; staying healthy is the first key.”

It’s time for the Mets to play up to their potential. To do that, Beltran has to start playing up to his superstar potential and paycheck.