This forgettable former Cardinals outfielder is making waves overseas

From Miami Marlins Minor League Player of the Year to major league washout to KBO masher, Austin Dean has led quite the baseball life, and the St. Louis Cardinals marked one stop on his trek to Asian stardom.

The Cardinals acquired Dean, an outfielder whom the Marlins drafted in the fourth round in 2012, on Jan. 14, 2020, in exchange for minor league outfielder Diowill Burgos just five days after their seemingly ill-fated trade of Randy Arozarena to the Tampa Bay Rays. Dean had hit just .223 with a .656 OPS in parts of two major league seasons with Miami, and the Cardinals took a flier on him in an attempt to add to their outfield depth.

Dean ended up playing in just three games in the abridged 2020 season while also missing time with an elbow injury, getting one hit in four at-bats and walking three times. He had a slightly larger cup of coffee with the major league club in 2021, hitting .233 with a .742 OPS in 22 games.

Despite his adequate performance, the Cardinals outfield of Tyler O'Neill, Harrison Bader and Dylan Carlson appeared to be set for the long haul, and Lars Nootbaar and Lane Thomas factored into the mix as well. Therefore, the Cardinals placed Dean on waivers, where the San Francisco Giants scooped him up. There, he had three hits in eight at-bats. Following the season, he embarked on the trip that changed his career.

Austin Dean has been a force to be reckoned with in South Korea's KBO

Since signing with the KBO's LG Twins, Dean has been a revelation. The Twins brought him in from the outfield and made him their everyday first baseman, and in 2023, he hit .313 with an .893 OPS; in 2024, he hit .319 with a .957 OPS; and in 2025, he hit .313 with a .988 OPS. Over that span, he hit 86 home runs while at the less defensively taxing position, and the Twins won their championship in 2023 and 2025 with Dean in the heart of their order.

Those were just a warm-up for his exploits in 2026, though. The KBO season wrapped up on Oct. 12, and Dean hit .331 while leading the KBO with a 1.062 OPS. He also mashed an impressive 41 home runs on the season. Asian teams tend to covet power bats from overseas, and Dean has been an excellent find on that front, even though his single-season high in home runs in the minor leagues was just 18, in Triple-A in 2019.

Although the KBO tends to go under the radar in the U.S., Dean popped up on some social media feeds in a heartwarming fashion when his 3-year-old son Dallas plunked him with a ball while tossing Dean some batting practice. The playful fracas took place in July when the team's game had been halted because of rain.

Dean's dominance in 2026 has earned him plenty of recognition around the KBO, but if he is itching to return to the major leagues, it might be a tall order. At 33 years old, Dean may not have many prime years left, and he might want to continue playing where he's found success rather than try for one last gasp for a bench role at the highest level.

Perhaps most notable around Cardinals Nation for being the last player to wear the number zero before Masyn Winn made it his own, Dean didn't make much of an impact on the Cardinals or the major leagues. But even if Dean doesn't return to play stateside, his performance since joining the KBO is worth admiring from afar

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