Born in Bradenton, Florida, McRae attended Manatee High School and Blue Springs High School where he was a Missouri 2nd Team All State Selection in football and 1st Team selection baseball. In 1985, McRae was predicted to be a lower-round draft pick in baseball. When he claimed that he would attend college and play both sports, the University of Kansas offered him a football scholarship. When the Kansas City Royals defied the predictions and chose the 17-year-old McRae in the first round (as the 17th pick), offering him a six-figure signing bonus, he changed his mind and bypassed college sports altogether.