One of LSU baseball’s freshman signees will no longer begin his collegiate career in Baton Rouge.

Anthony Murphy, a power-hitting California centerfielder who was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 16th round of the 2026 MLB Draft, said in a social-media post Friday that he had “decided to decommit” from LSU and “reopen my recruitment.”

“Being committed to LSU has been an incredible honor,” Murphy said, “and I’ll always be thankful for the relationships I’ve built and the support I’ve received.

“This decision was not made lightly and is in no way a reflection of LSU, its coaches or the program. I have nothing but respect and appreciation for everything they’ve done for me.”

As a high school junior, Murphy led a team with three first-round MLB Draft picks in home runs and batting average. The 6-foot, 185-pound leadoff hitter was a fringe top-100 player in MLB.com’s draft rankings after his senior season, and became one of nine LSU signees who were selected in the draft. But his late-round slot made him a candidate to pass on the pros and play college baseball instead.

Had Murphy decided to join the Tigers, he would’ve faced a roster crunch and a logjam at centerfield. LSU was projected to have more than 40 players on its 2027 roster before Friday and a likely competiton for the starting centerfield spot. A Tulane transfer (Jason Wachs) and two other highly rated freshmen (Malachi Washington and Dominic Santarelli) are the top candidates for that role.

Murphy will again be eligibile for the MLB draft after his sophomore season.