On Saturday, rookie Justin Dean watched from center field as the Los Angeles Dodgers turned a double play in the 11th inning to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the World Series.
Monday, Dean celebrated the championship with his teammates on a parade through the streets of downtown Los Angeles.
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Wednesday, he participated in a community event and stood alongside the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Thursday, Dean became the newest member of the San Francisco Giants.
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The Giants claimed Dean after the Dodgers outrighted him off their 40-man roster. Although he scarcely held a bat after receiving his first major league promotion at midseason, Dean was a key member of the Dodgers’ outfield and a frequent defensive replacement in the postseason as the Dodgers marched to the championship.
Dean, 28, went 0 for 2 in 18 regular season games, and only appeared on offense as a pinch runner in his 13 postseason appearances for the Dodgers.
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But he also played an errorless 23.2 innings in center field, frequently replacing Andy Pages late in games in manager Dave Roberts’ defensive alignment.
In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 6 of the World Series, Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger slugged a ball to left-center field that lodged between the bottom of the fence and the playing field. Dean and left fielder Kiké Hernández threw their arms in the air — a small but savvy play that resulted in Barger correctly being credited with a ground-rule double.
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Dean was a 17th-round draft pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2018, and spent the first seven years of his career in the Braves’ organization. The Dodgers signed him as a minor league free agent last December, and Dean played 90 games at Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2025, slashing .289/.378/.431 with 27 steals in 36 attempts.
“He has a defined role,” Roberts said recently of Dean. “He has a very plus skill set to play center field. And I feel that having him in center field makes our overall outfield defense better.”
Dean could see his role expand in San Francisco, where the spacious outfield demands outfielders with plus range in center and right field.
The Giants also claimed left-handed reliever Reiver Sanmartin from the Cincinnati Reds.
The Dodgers effectively replaced Dean on their 40-man roster with Ryan Ward, a 27-year-old outfielder who offers more offensive upside than Dean, but has yet to make his MLB debut.
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