Magee High School’s standout shortstop Brennon McNair--BMac to his friends--was the only high school player in Mississippi to be selected in the 2021 MLB Draft. The Kansas City Royals drafted McNair in the 11th round with the 319th pick.
The 2021 Magee High School graduate has decided to accept the contract from the Royals to become a professional baseball player.
During his senior season McNair notched a .527 batting average with 48 hits, 43 RBIs, 12 doubles, 11 home runs and a triple. During his career at Magee High School McNair helped lead the Trojans to two state championship appearances. McNair signed a baseball scholarship with South Alabama prior to being drafted. He was also the valedictorian of his graduating class with the highest grade point average for four years.
McNair sat down with the Magee Courier for an interview and explained the draft process and how he wrestled with the decision to turn pro. He began playing baseball at age three and fell in love with the game watching his uncle Josh Logan, who was also a baseball star at Magee High School. Logan played collegiately at Co-Lin and the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.
McNair said, “My uncle Josh was my biggest inspiration. He helped me and always knew the right things to say. It was good to have someone who had been through what I’m going through.”
McNair said his uncle was a well of advice and always offered useful tips that helped him develop as a baseball player. He added that his parents, Fountaine and Josonda McNair, have always supported him through every chapter of his journey.
Several teams were interested in McNair prior to the MLB 2021 Draft so he understood that there was a possibility that he would be drafted. The Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, and Houston Astros all invited McNair to come and work out for their teams. Up until a month before the draft McNair and his family were on the road showcasing his talent to these different teams. McNair said the experience was fun and he had the opportunity to meet a lot of people. McNair’s hitting ability intrigued teams the most. He has added power every year and is a unique talent. McNair can hit for power or average which is valuable at the shortstop position.
During the draft McNair received his first calls during the fifth round. He received calls from the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals who both expressed interest in drafting him at some point. The Royals pulled the trigger on McNair in the 11th round and the parties negotiated a contract. McNair fully committed to becoming a professional on Saturday after weighing his options. It was a tough decision that he approached maturely with the help of family.
McNair smiled and said, “Between the three days of getting drafted I only got about 4 to 6 hours of sleep. It was a good process, I did a lot of praying, and trusting my mom and dad to help me, and getting knowledge from people who have been through the process.”
He said his workouts helped the time pass quicker and clear his thoughts.
McNair will be joining the Royals rookie team located in Surprise Arizona, competing in the Arizona Complex League. The team has 61 games scheduled and McNair will be joining them midway through the season. From this league McNair will look to progress through the ranks of A, AA, AAA, and eventually the Majors.
McNair’s schedule will feature daily practices and games will be played at night. His only scheduled off days will be Sundays and Wednesdays. McNair is confident that he has what it takes to play at this level and continues to dedicate himself to his craft.
McNair has trained a minimum of six days a week for two hours since he was fourteen years old. He lifts, hits in the cage, and works on the details of his game constantly.
He said, “Baseball is a game of repetition and details, so you want to get rest, but you also have to get reps. You have to always be practicing”
He explained that players need constant reps to maintain solid fundamentals and proper mechanics. McNair offered sound advice to younger players.
He said, “Always be a student of the game and keep a great attitude. Never take a play off because you never know who’s watching. It is always good to produce, but you have to be able to handle the hard times and there will be a lot of hard times in this game.”
Most importantly McNair said, “Play hard and be aggressive.”
McNair has the talent, work ethic, and mindset to succeed at whatever path he chose in life. He will put those talents to use on the diamond for the Kansas City Royals.
In closing he said, “It’s time to put my head down and go to work, at the end of the day that’s all you can do. The Royals saw enough in me to draft me. I want to be thankful for everything. I’m thankful for my mom and dad, my family, Coach Eubanks and all of my coaches, and my teammates.”
