He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and the San Francisco Giants.

He hit a game-winning triple for Team USA in the gold medal game against Japan at the 2004 FISU II World University Baseball Championship in Taiwan.

Stubbs was the Longhorns' co-MVP, named Big 12 co-Player of the Year, and one of five finalists for the Golden Spikes Award in 2006.

In his 2006 season at the rookie class Billings Mustangs, Stubbs batted .256 with six home runs and 24 RBIs in 56 games, including three triples, in 210 at-bats.

Earning a promotion to the Class A Dayton Dragons (the low A team), he batted .270 with 12 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases in 129 games, including an 11-game hit streak to start the year.

After the season, he was named the tenth-best prospect in the Midwest League and the fifth-best in the Reds' organization by Baseball America.

In the 2008 season Stubbs started with the Single-A Sarasota Reds (the high A team), then was promoted to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, and finally to the Triple-A Louisville Bats.

On July 24, 2011, Stubbs hit a leadoff walk-off home run on the first pitch from Atlanta Braves reliever Scott Linebrink to give the Reds a 4–3 win.

[3] Stubbs was traded to the Cleveland Indians, along with Trevor Bauer of the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-team deal that sent Shin-Soo Choo to the Reds, among other players.

[6] On August 17, 2014, Stubbs hit a walk-off, three-run home run against Cincinnati Reds pitcher J. J. Hoover, in game one of their double header.