Ott platooned with catcher Steve Nicosia in 1979, and had his best season with a .273 batting average along with 7 home runs, 51 runs batted in and a career-high .994 fielding percentage, second only to Gene Tenace among National League catchers. Led by future Hall of Fame member, Willie Stargell, the Pirates won the National League Eastern Division pennant, then defeated the Cincinnati Reds in the 1979 National League Championship Series, before winning the 1979 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. Ott, who was known to be a team clubhouse leader, was solid during the seven-game World Series posting a .333 batting average along with 3 runs batted in to help lift the Pirates to their fifth World Series Championship.