Shane McClanahan was drafted in the 26th round by the Tampa Bay Rays out of Cape Coral High School. He elected to play college baseball in order to boost his draft stock. Although he suffered a Tommy John injury during his freshman year, he continued to develop his electric fastball and finished with a 14.1 K/9 during his junior season, when he was draft eligible. Unlike other high school pitchers, McClanahan did not have the big arm or fast arm that some scouts looked for in a big time reliever, but the Rays took a chance on local talent and selected him with a compensation pick in the first round.