Could Moises Ballesteros be Cubs' first Rookie of the Year since Kris Bryant?

SAN DIEGO — The Rookie of the Year Award has been around since 1947. Since 1949, when one player in each league won the award, the Cubs and White Sox have never had winners in the same season.

Could this be the season that changes? Based on the (very) early returns, you could make that case.

If Munetaka Murakami keeps hitting Mune shots for the South Siders, and Moises Ballesteros keeps raking for the North Siders, they should both rate as front runners.

Fun to think about, no? But in the meantime, a flashback: Remember Pete Crow-Armstrong, the 23-year-old kid who dazzled us last season with 25 home runs and 27 stolen bases by the All-Star break? That version of PCA, who has not been sighted for the last three weeks, showed up in a big way Tuesday night at Petco Park, his three-run home run in the seventh inning giving the Cubs the breathing room they needed in an 8-3 victory against the Padres.

PCA had gone 18 games and 74 plate-appearances since his only home run of 2026, against Tampa Bay on April 7. He had collected 16 hits since then, all but three of them singles. But after sore-footed Alex Bregman came off the bench and delivered an RBI pinch single to give the Cubs a 5-3 lead, Crow-Armstrong hit a 410-foot blast over the center field wall to bust it open.

The win, which went to Edwin Cabrera (5 2/3 innings, 3 ER, 1 B, 7 K’s), ended the Cubs’ three-game losing spin. They play the Padres in the finale of this three-game set Wednesday afternoon.

The 26-year-old Murakami, who established his credentials as a slugger in six seasons in Japan, has 12 home runs to lead all major-league rookies. The White Sox have had just two Rookies of the Year since 1985: Jose Abreu (2014) and Ozzie Guillen (1985).

The 22-year-old Ballesteros, who hit his first career grand slam in the Cubs’ 9-7 loss to the Padres Monday night, has just 62 at-bats so far this season, but his slash line of .387/.435/.710/1.145 is easily the best among rookies in both leagues. The Cubs have had four Rookies of the Year since 1989: Kris Bryant (2015), Geovany Soto (2008), Kerry Wood (1998) and Jerome Walton (1989).

Reds first baseman Sal Stewart, from the same Miami high school (Westminster Christian) that produced Alex Rodriguez, has had a big month, with nine home runs, 29 RBI and seven stolen bases, but his OPS of .987 is 258 points less than that of Ballesteros.

And what could prove to be a boon to the candidacy of the native of Los Toques, Venezuela is if he gains more opportunities to catch. In 20 games last season, Ballesteros served as the designated hitter in 20 games, and caught once. This season, he has appeared as DH in 21 of 25 games. He made his first start behind the plate on Monday.

Are more appearances in the offing?

“If things happen,’’ manager Craig Counsell said, “it could be more often. If things don’t happen, it’ll probably just be occasional. But being prepared — if it had to be more — is part of it.’’

The Cubs have two quality catchers in Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, but Matthew Boyd praised the progress Ballesteros has made defensively.

“Bally can hit,’’ Boyd said. “He can hit. And he’s come so far. I mean, he’s sufficient behind the plate. He’s good back there. I mean, he’s working hard. Like, he does the job well. This is the evolution. How old is he, 22 years old, working his tail off on the defensive side? He’s doing a great job back there.’’

With a bat in his hands, he has been lethal. The fans back home already are communicating their anticipation of something special about to happen. When Counsell sent him to pinch hit in the fifth inning against the Phillies last Tuesday, the crowd rose to its feet, chanting his name. Ballesteros drew a bases-loaded walk.

The grand slam Monday traveled 404 feet into the right-field stands of Petco Park.

“I gotta say, we’re not surprised,’’ Boyd said. “We’ve been seeing it now for over a year, and he’s done it at level. He’s just got an advanced approach. He understands. As a pitcher, thinking about him as a hitter, he keeps his hands back so well, and he’s able to adjust off-speed. What he does is really impressive. He’s a huge reason we are where we are today.’’

On his first at-bat Monday, Ballesteros said he missed Randy Vasquez’s cutter. “I went back to the dugout and told Miggy [Amaya] and [Daniel] Palencia, if he throws me the cutter again . . .”

Bang.

How much does he like catching? “It’s my favorite part of the game,’’ he said. “After hitting.’’