Six years after making his major league debut, former Mets pitching prospect Rafael Montero is enjoying success.

The 28-year-old Montero, who was outrighted by the Mets and elected free agency in November of 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery that spring, has excelled in a relief role for the Rangers this season since making his debut with Texas on July 23.

Montero struggled both on and off the field during his time with the Mets, with then-manager Terry Collins once infamously taking a trip to Port St. Lucie during a mysterious Montero DL stint to give him a pep talk.

In parts of four seasons with the Mets, Montero -- who had pinpoint control while working his way through the minors -- struggled badly, posting a 5.38 ERA (4.62 FIP) and 1.70 WHIP in 58 games (30 starts, 28 relief appearances).

While with the Mets, Montero showed flashes every now and then but averaged an untenable 5.2 walks per 9 as he often nibbled around the strike zone.

Since joining the Rangers in July, Montero has a 1.42 ERA (3.32 FIP) and 0.89 WHIP while walking just 2.4 per 9 and striking out 9.9 per 9 in 19 innings in relief (12 appearances).

To go along with his success, the velocity of all three of Montero's pitches has ticked up significantly while with the Rangers.

His fastball is averaging 95.6 MPH (up from a high of 93.7 MPH with the Mets), his slider is averaging 85.2 MPH (up from a high of 83.7 MPH with the Mets), and his changeup is averaging 89.5 MPH (up from a high of 88.1 MPH with the Mets).

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