He played all or parts of nine seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1976 and 1985, for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, and Chicago Cubs, primarily as an outfielder.

[2] Woods graduated from San Marcos High School in 1971 and then attended Santa Barbara City College before starting his professional baseball career.

[2] On September 14, 1976, Woods made his major league debut in the second game of a doubleheader, a 4–3 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

On November 5, 1976, Woods was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft.

1978 was a different story as Woods did not make the team in the spring, spent the full Triple-A season in the minors, finally getting a call up when the Major League rosters expanded in September.

Woods spent 1979 and most of 1980 in the minors, playing again for the Triple-A Tucson Toros, which by this point had shifted affiliations from Oakland to Houston.

[2] In the strike-shortened 1981 season, Woods platooned with Terry Puhl in the outfield, helping the Astros reach the West Division playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I really felt I was a big part of them getting there," he told the Chicago Tribune in an article that was published on September 11, 1986, referring to the playoffs.

On December 9, 1981, Woods was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Jim Tracy and was pressed into service as a starting center fielder when prospect Ty Waller failed early.