CHICAGO -- Maybe at some point, opposing teams will stop running on Nolan Jones.

But for now, the Rockies’ outfielder is ready to make them regret testing his rocket arm on the basepaths.

“You just have a weapon out there,” starter Noah Davis said. “I’m surprised that guys are still running on him, at this point.”

Jones picked up his 17th outfield assist of the season in the Rockies’ 6-0 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon, cutting down Ian Happ at home plate for the final out of the first inning.

Jones tied not only the Nationals’ Lane Thomas for most outfield assists in MLB this season but also Dante Bichette for the Rockies’ franchise record in a single season. Bichette set the mark in 1999.

Davis ran into some early trouble Friday, facing a bases-loaded jam in the first inning. He nearly escaped unscathed, but Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki drove in Mike Tauchman with an RBI single on a two-out ground ball through the six-hole.

Happ, who was on second base, got the green light from Chicago third-base coach Willie Harris. But Happ was still several feet from third base when Jones corralled the ball in left field.

Jones uncorked a Statcast-projected 100.3 mph strike to catcher Elías Díaz that beat Happ by a large margin.

“I had the ball pretty early there,” Jones said. “I was going to come up throwing. I think he was out by a little bit. I just tried to put it on line, and Díaz made a nice tag.”

It was somewhat surprising the Cubs tested Jones in that spot, considering what he showed when the two teams squared off at Coors Field last week. On Sept. 11, Jones threw Suzuki out at the plate with a Statcast-projected 102.7 mph strike -- the fastest-tracked regular-season outfield assist since 2018.

Entering Friday, Jones led the Majors with an average arm strength of 98.7 mph.

“Both those guys, [center fielder Brenton] Doyle and Jones, have proven that they have weapons with their arms,” manager Bud Black said. “They've saved us runs because of their ability to throw. That was a big out in the first inning.

“If he doesn't get that one, we’re still out there in that inning, and Noah has to make more pitches to get out of it. … Eventually -- and we've seen it already -- it'll be a deterrent for baserunners and third-base coaches and first-base coaches who try to stretch extra bases against our guys.”

Jones began his professional career as a corner infielder and did not play the outfield in the Minors until 2021. He said with more reps, he’s gotten more comfortable on plays such as his one on Friday.

“Throwing is something I do well, so getting my body in a good position is something I work on,” Jones said. “It’s definitely getting easier.”

Jones has continued to impress in his first season with the Rockies. Even after his 0-for-2 performance on Friday, in which he drew a pair of walks, he is batting .284/.375/.521 with 17 home runs and 54 RBIs in 97 games.

The 25-year-old, whom Colorado acquired from Cleveland last November, did not make the Rockies’ Opening Day roster. He was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on April 12 for a brief stint in the Majors before getting optioned.

After being recalled again on May 26, not only has Jones stuck in the big leagues, but he’s proving he will be a key piece of the Rockies’ plans for 2024 and beyond.

“He tried so hard in Spring Training to impress his new team and new coaches, his new teammates, and it truly worked against him,” Black said before Friday’s game. “But even back then, we saw the tools. We saw the ability in him. He went to Albuquerque, put up numbers, banged on the door hard to get the promotion. And since he's come up, he's been one of our most consistent performing players.

“All the things you look for in performance, he's done it. And he's done it learning, really, a relatively new position as an outfielder in the big leagues, which can be challenging in itself. But he's been really more than what we've hoped for. We’re, again, probably a little selfish in thinking there's more in there, which he'll be the first to tell you there is. He's doing extremely well for a rookie.”