
by Cary Osborne
Justin Dean thought Oklahoma City Comets manager Scott Hennessey was lying to him when he told him he was getting called up to the big leagues to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
At 28 years old, in his seventh Minor League season and 680 Minor League games under his belt, it’s understandable that Dean would think that way. Add to it that he wasn’t on the Dodger 40-man roster on Wednesday when Hennessey gave him the news.
You’ll find Dean among the Dodger Player Development system’s top 10 in only one category — stolen bases. His 25 ranks tied for eighth.
That’s the offense — and he can impact a game with his speed on the basepaths.
But just to illustrate how much the Dodgers value run prevention, internally Dean wasn’t so much of a surprise choice to come up.
“Justin is a really plus, plus center fielder,” said manager Dave Roberts. “So we’re just giving him a look out there as a defensive replacement, to pinch run, be a guy off the bench that we think there’s a lot of utility in that.”
As grateful as Dean is to have finally made it to the big leagues, he understands the role.
“Winning baseball needs defense,” Dean said. “If you’re an elite defender, you’ll be able to keep a job. You’re going to be able to stick around. You’re going to be able to play this game a long time. So I take pride in a pitcher feeling confident that I’m out there in the field. So that’s just what motivates me to keep going and to keep getting better. I love when a pitcher asks me, ‘Are you in there today?’”
Dean made his Major League debut on Friday night as a defensive substitution in center field in the top of the eighth inning. The ball found him that inning with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lining ball into the gap. Dean chased and dove but the ball was out of reach. It would have been a spectacular and memorable play in his Major League debut.
But just to be touching Major League outfield grass is massive accomplishment for 5-foot-8-inch outfielder.

Dean admits there have been many points in his career that he thought he would never make it. He played in the Braves organization from 2018–2024 and spent offseasons playing in the Mexican Winter League from 2021–2024. The Dodgers invited him to 2025 Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.
“(I had thoughts that) maybe it’s not for me,” Dean said. “It’s not for everybody. So I definitely had those thoughts. But I don’t know what else I would do, so I’m going to keep doing this. And my parents really encouraged me to continue to do it. They’re my backbone and who I would fall back on when things didn’t feel right, and they just continued to push for me and continued to pray for me.”
They were the first call Dean made when he was notified that he was getting called up. He spoke to his mother, Perky, first.
“She’s jumping up and trying to hold back tears and whatnot,” Dean said.
Before Friday night’s game, Dean said he didn’t have a vision of what his Major League debut might look like — not stepping in the batter’s box, getting a hit or making a diving catch.
“As long as the Dodgers win, that’s all I really care about,” he said.
Dean caught the final out in center field in the Dodgers’ win.
Justin Dean sticks to a dream and makes it to the Dodgers was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.