PORT ST. LUCIE — Blade Tidwell used a subtraction lesson to start receiving better results toward the end of last season.

A right-hander with a big fastball who is regarded among the Mets’ top pitching prospects, the 23-year-old Tidwell said he was throwing as many as nine different pitches last season for Triple-A Syracuse. It wasn’t until he reduced that number to five that he felt better about his outings.

“I think I was trying to work on a lot of things and too many things at that,” Tidwell said this week. “By the end of the year I kind of narrowed my sights and focused on what I need to do to get to the next level. And I think by the end of the year it was working for me and then I am trying to carry that momentum on to right now.”

Overall, Tidwell pitched to a 5.93 ERA in 19 appearances (17 of which were starts) for Syracuse. But in five of his last seven starts he allowed two earned runs or fewer.