Nick Dean Stats & Scouting Report

IP	32.0
ERA	6.19
WHIP	1.380
BB/9	2.8
SO/9	10.1

Full name Nicholas Matthew Dean
Born 12/26/2000 in Philadelphia, PA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Maryland
Drafted in the 19th round (566th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2023 (signed for $75,000).

View Draft Report

School: Maryland Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 22.5
Dean ranked at the back of the 2022 BA 500 but went undrafted and returned to Maryland for his fourth season. He is largely the same pitcher today as he was a year ago: a pitchability righthander with a four-pitch mix of solid but unspectacular stuff. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound righthander posted a 5.54 ERA over 16 starts and 74.2 innings, with a 23.4% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. His fastball sits around 90 mph and touches 93 with carry that helps it play up, and his go-to secondary is a low-80s changeup that has generated nearly a 40% miss rate. He also mixes in a slider at 80 mph and a slow, 12-to-6 curveball in the low 70s. He fits as a day three talent or money-saving senior sign with solid control.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 30/Low

Adjusted Grade: 30

Track Record: Dean spent four years in the Maryland rotation before the Cubs drafted him in the 19th round in 2023. After a strong professional debut in 2024 across both levels of Class A, Dean returned to High-A to begin the 2025 season. After seven starts, he was promoted to Double-A Knoxville. He struggled mightily in the Southern League and was moved on and off the development list.

Scouting Report: Dean is an athletic mover on the mound who creates decent extension but lacks power across his arsenal. He mixes four pitches in a four-seam fastball, changeup, slider and curveball. Dean’s fastball sits 89-91 mph and touches 94 with 17-19 inches of vertical break on average. His high three-quarters release isn’t heavily deceptive, which downplays the above-average ride he gets on his fastball due to his higher release point. Dean’s plus changeup is his bread-and-butter and the best in the system. It’s a Bugs Bunny-style changeup that moves like a fastball but sits 79-81 mph with good vertical separation off his fastball. Dean mixes a low-80s gyro slider and a mid-70s two-plane curveball. Because Dean is a pronator—which helps amplify his changeup—his breaking pitches both play as below-average. He shows average command of his arsenal.

The Future: Dean profiles as a depth starter and will likely see limited opportunities in the majors.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 40 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50
BA Grade/Risk: 40/High.

Track Record: Dean spent four seasons in the Maryland rotation highlighted by a stellar sophomore season. The Cubs drafted Dean in the 19th round of the 2023 draft and signed him for $75,000. He debuted in 2024 and went 6-4, 3.57 with 86 strikeouts to 26 walks over 90.2 innings between Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend.

Scouting Report: Dean is an athletic righthander with a prototypical pitcher’s build, up-tempo mechanics and a high three-quarters arm slot. Dean lacks power on his arsenal but he repeats his mechanics well and has good shape to his four pitches. Dean’s primary pitch is his low-90s fastball with above-average ride and armside run. There’s nothing unusual from a release or extension standpoint, but the pitch plays due to good location and movement. His changeup is his bread-and-butter. Dean lands it consistently and can manipulate it to tumble out of the zone for chases. His upper-70s slider is a sweeper with slurvy depth, and he mixes a mid-70s curveball with significantly more depth than his sweeper. Dean throws an average amount of strikes and knows how to work his fastball and changeup combination.

The Future: Dean has depth starter upside unless he can find another 3-4 mph of velocity across his pitch mix.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50.

Draft Prospects

School: Maryland Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 22.5
Dean ranked at the back of the 2022 BA 500 but went undrafted and returned to Maryland for his fourth season. He is largely the same pitcher today as he was a year ago: a pitchability righthander with a four-pitch mix of solid but unspectacular stuff. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound righthander posted a 5.54 ERA over 16 starts and 74.2 innings, with a 23.4% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. His fastball sits around 90 mph and touches 93 with carry that helps it play up, and his go-to secondary is a low-80s changeup that has generated nearly a 40% miss rate. He also mixes in a slider at 80 mph and a slow, 12-to-6 curveball in the low 70s. He fits as a day three talent or money-saving senior sign with solid control.
School: Maryland Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.6
A lean, 6-foot-3, 180-pound righthander, Dean is a consistent strike thrower who has been a reliable starter for Maryland for three seasons. This spring he posted a 4.57 ERA over 15 starts and 82.2 innings, while striking out 80 batters (22.0 K%) and walking 27 (7.4 BB%). None of his stuff is above-average or jumps out at you, but he has impressive feel for a four-pitch mix. His fastball sits 88-90 mph and has touched 95 at peak this spring, but the pitch features almost 20 inches of induced vertical break. His go-to secondary is an upper-70s changeup that generated plenty of whiffs this spring and was used more than 30% of the time. Dean throws a slider around 80 mph and a 12-to-6 curveball in the lower 70s as well. With a deep pitch mix and good command, Dean has starter upside but might need to come into more velocity at the next level.

Career Transactions

Knoxville Smokies transferred RHP Nick Dean to the Development List.
RHP Nick Dean assigned to Knoxville Smokies from South Bend Cubs.
RHP Nick Dean assigned to South Bend Cubs from Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
RHP Nick Dean assigned to Myrtle Beach Pelicans from ACL Cubs.
Chicago Cubs signed RHP Nick Dean.

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