Powell was the seventh player selected overall, and the first round pick of the Minnesota Twins, in the 1969 Major League Baseball draft.

But he would appear in only in 39 MLB games over parts of three seasons as an outfielder and catcher for the Twins (1971) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1973 and 1975).

Born in San Angelo, Texas, Powell threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg).

After graduating from Santa Cruz Valley Union High School in Eloy, Arizona, he attended Arizona State University, where he was the starting center fielder for ASU's 1969 championship team[1] and a defensive back and placekicker on the Sun Devils' 1967 and 1968 football teams.

His lone home run came in his third game in MLB on April 10, 1971, a solo blow off Don Eddy of the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park.