Powell played sparingly as an Oklahoma freshman in 2023 before transferring to Seminole State (Okla.) JC, where he won national junior college player of the year honors as a sophomore. He led NJCAA Division I in homers (32), RBI (104), slugging (1.088) and OPS (1.649) last spring before the Astros signed him away from an Oklahoma State commitment with an over-slot $422,500 bonus in the sixth round. He features some of the best raw power in the system and is doing a better job of tapping into it this year than he did in his 24-game pro debut last summer.
A physical 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, Powell looks to make the most of his plus raw pop with an aggressive right-handed stroke and a pull-heavy mentality. Some amateur scouts questioned his ability to catch up to good velocity, and he has had some in-zone contact issues against fastballs in pro ball. He may need to tone down his swing and approach against more advanced pitching.
Though Powell is slower out of the batter's box, he can flash solid speed once he gets going and will look to make things happen on the bases. Primarily a shortstop at Seminole State, he split time between there and third base in his pro debut before shifting back to mostly short to begin this season. He shows average arm strength and below-average range at shortstop, which will trigger a move back to the hot corner in the long run.
