Called up to the California Angels squad on August 21, 1996, the first batter he faced was Derek Jeter, who homered off Dickson's third Major League pitch. Dickson was named to the 1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as a 24-year-old representing the Anaheim Angels. He finished his first full season with 13 wins and a 4.29 ERA but struggled the next year, going 10–10 with a 6.05 ERA. Over four seasons in the majors, Dickson had a 26–25 record and 4.99 career ERA. However, injuries all but nullified his once promising career. In 1996, he won the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's Tip O'Neill Award.