Justin Dean Fantasy Stats

The Chicago Cubs are calling up outfield prospect Justin Dean from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, according to Milb Central. Dean will make his debut with the Cubs after hitting just .238 (43-for-181) with three home runs, 25 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 38 runs scored in 56 games across 223 plate appearances at Iowa. The 29-year-old former 17th-round selection by the Atlanta Braves in 2018 out of Lenoir-Rhyne University made his big-league debut last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he played in just 18 games and was mostly a defensive replacement late in games, going hitless in two plate appearances with one stolen base and one strikeout. Dean has experience playing all three outfield spots in the minor leagues, but beyond that, he doesn't really have much fantasy upside at almost 30 years old as bench depth for the Cubbies in the short term. In his eight minor-league seasons, Dean has hit .251/.357/.367 with a .723 OPS, 42 homers, 264 RBI, and 253 stolen bases in 745 games played. Fantasy managers should avoid Dean off the waiver wire.

The San Francisco Giants have designated outfielder Justin Dean for assignment to make room for right-hander Tyler Mahle, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Dean never appeared in a game for the Giants after being claimed off waivers in early November. The 29-year-old most recently played for the World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers, appearing in 18 games last season, primarily as a pinch-runner. Mahle joins a Giants starting rotation that includes Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Adrian Houser, and Landen Roupp. The 31-year-old righty spent the past two seasons with the Texas Rangers, where he posted a 2.54 ERA with 76 strikeouts across 99 1/3 innings. However, durability remains a major concern. Since 2022, Mahle has undergone Tommy John surgery and hasn't made more than 20 starts in a season. In 2025, he missed 85 games with right-shoulder fatigue, and his declining velocity only adds to the concerns. His fastball, which averaged around 94 mph in 2021, dipped to roughly 92 mph last season. While Mahle still does a solid job locating the ball, and Oracle Park is pitcher-friendly, he's mainly a fantasy option for deeper formats, like 15-team leagues. Even then, it's best to leave him on the waiver wire to start the season until he proves he can stay healthy and that his stuff can still play at the major-league level.