Murphy struggled in his rookie year. While he only played in 60 games that season, he managed to collect just 10 hits in 52 plate appearances (giving him an .182 batting average) and he did not hit a home run. His numbers improved as he became the A's everyday center fielder. His power numbers grew as well. The Athletics in the early 1980s had an outfield of Murphy, Rickey Henderson, and Tony Armas, and many saw it as the best young outfield in baseball.