King of the Diamond is back for Monday’s slate! Learn how the contest works, how to get in on it, and track leaders right up until we crown our winner(s).
How to Play King of the Diamond on DraftKings Sportsbook
King of the Diamond requires bettors to use a token on a pre-game parlay that must include a player to hit a home run. Same Game Parlays (SGP), SGPx and parlays are the eligible bet types. Whichever parlay form a bettor chooses must have 2-5 legs.
Any game that starts before 6 p.m. ET on the slated day will not be eligible for the King of the Diamond promotion. There is not an odds minimum. Unless using a boosted token, the bet minimum is $5.
The King (or kings) of the Diamond is decided based on the highest scoring team of the slated night. For example, suppose the Los Angeles Dodgers are the highest scoring team, and Shohei Ohtani hits a home run. In that case, all bettors who entered Ohtani to hit a home run in their eligible parlay and opted in to the contest will share in a $1 million prize pool.
The player only needs to hit one home run to qualify for a share of the prize pool. For example, if another Dodger hit two home runs and the Dodgers are the high scorers of the night, Ohtani still qualifies as the King of the Diamond. If two or more teams tie for the highest scoring team, all batters on those teams who hit home runs would qualify. For more on tiebreaker scenarios and eligible bets, refer to this article.
Update: 5:41 p.m. ET (5/20)
Pedro Pagés is the DraftKings King of the Diamond for 5/19! 12 DraftKings Sportsbook users who picked him each received an $83,334 bonus bet.
Update: 1:12 a.m. ET
With the Diamondbacks falling short of 11 runs, the Cardinals are hanging on as the highest scoring team of the night. Pedro Pages was the only home-run hitter for St Louis, which means he is in position to be your lone King of the Diamond for Monday’s slate. However, this outcome is pending the result of the suspended Guardians-Twins game. An official winner will not be announced until that game resumes and finishes on Tuesday, May 20.
Update: 11:50 p.m. ET
It was a valiant effort for the Philadelphia Phillies, who scored eight runs over the final three frames against the Colorado Rockies. But that left them with only nine total runs, which isn’t good enough in tonight’s contest.
Scoring has also dried up in the Angels-Athletics game, as Los Angeles leads 4-3 in the sixth inning. It would take some serious firepower for either team to hit double digits. Realistically, the Arizona Diamondbacks are the only team left with a chance of catching the Cardinals’ 11 runs. They have four more innings in Chavez Ravine to do so.
If they cannot come back, that leaves the St. Louis Cardinals on top, and backup catcher Pedro Pages as our King of the Diamond. Talk about an unlikely champion. Stay tuned while the last games go final.
Update: 11:05 p.m. ET
The St. Louis Cardinals, and Pedro Pages, ended with 11 runs on the board. On most nights, that should be enough. But the Arizona Diamondbacks are coming.
The D-Backs have already racked up seven runs on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning. Two of those came off the bat of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who smashed a two-run homer:
That was shortly followed by another two-run blast by catcher Gabriel Moreno:
With six innings left to play (at minimum), the Diamondbacks have a good chance at overtaking the Cardinals at the 11th hour. The Phillies have six runs but only one inning to go. The Angels are off to a great start with four runs in three innings, but now have two high scorers to catch.
Check in with us as this goes down to the wire.
Update: 10:33 p.m. ET
The Cardinals and Tigers resumed play at 10:15. By 10:25, the Cardinals had scored four runs and taken the lead on our scoreboard. It was punctuated by Cardinals backup catcher Pedro Pages slugging one out.
Just as I type this, they’ve tacked on another, pushing the lead to 11-0 over the Detroit Tigers. That kicks our Marlins off the top of the mountain and puts Pages as the sole leader. We’ll see if anyone can catch them or if any other Cardinals feel like going yard.
Update: 10:15 p.m. ET
More finals are rolling in, and more delays. The Seattle Mariners failed to add any more runs after Julio Rodriguez’s grand slam, ending the game at 5-1. They’re off the board. The Milwaukee Brewers managed another run in the bottom of the eighth, but barring a crazy final inning or two, this game won’t see anyone overtaking the Marlins’ eight runs.
The St. Louis Cardinals are up 5-0 in a rain-delayed game in the bottom of the seventh, with play set to resume soon. They’ll have at least two innings to add to the lead and perhaps catch Miami. In the later games, keep an eye on the Los Angeles Angels. They got a first-inning homer from first baseman Nolan Schanuel and could have a big offensive night against a struggling Athletics pitching staff.
We’ll keep you apprised of all updates through the night, but for now, our two Marlins remain on top.
Update: 9:40 p.m. ET
MAYHEM IN MIAMI!!! It was a Jesús Sánchez game start to finish. He opened the contest with a home run, and closed it with a walk-off two-run double:
That puts the Marlins atop the board, passing the Cubs in the game and our contest. Sánchez and Marlins catcher Agustín Ramírez are the current leaders to be King of the Diamond.
However, there is a late charge from the Mariners. Seattle is up to five runs courtesy of this grand slam off the bat of Julio Rodriguez:
Though the Mariners are short on time, anything is possible when the White Sox are throwing you pitches. The Baltimore Orioles are making things interesting as well:
Things could get interesting down the stretch with the Orioles and Brewers tied at four in the seventh. Meanwhile, the Astros wrapped up a 4-3 victory and are off the board.
Update: 9:23 p.m. ET
We are in for an interesting night as the early scores begin to go final. The Cincinnati Reds scored seven runs, tied for tops on the board, but had no home run hitters. That takes them out of the running for tonight’s slate. The St. Louis Cardinals are making a case with five runs through five innings, but have yet to hit a homer, winning with speed instead.
Despite getting runners on base, the Milwaukee Brewers have failed to add to their four runs. Ditto for the Houston Astros. That means the Cubs remain our leaders as of now, but the Miami Marlins will have one more chance to tie things up.
Update: 9:00 p.m. ET
The Chicago Cubs’ leader on the scoreboard is looking a little less safe. The Houston Astros are making a push, courtesy of this home run from Jake Meyers:
While they have three runs of ground to make up, in the bandbox the Tampa Bay Rays now call home, anything is possible over the last two innings. The Milwaukee Brewers are creeping up as well:
With Milwaukee up to four runs in five innings over the struggling Orioles staff, they could easily break this one open and threaten the Cubs’ lead. And don’t count out the Marlins just yet, with two innings left to score the tying run!
Update: 8:28 p.m. ET
If you’re a scoreboard operator in Miami tonight, stretch, or your wrist might be sore by the night’s end. The Marlins added another run to finish off a four-run bottom of the fifth inning.
Turns out they needed every run, and then some. The Cubs are back with a vengeance in the top of the sixth inning, piling on the runs and taking the lead. Miguel Amaya, once again our leader for King of the Diamond, knocked in two more on this play:
The video doesn’t show the runners scoring, but the third runner was ultimately ruled out at home, tying the game momentarily. And, while unrelated to our contest, Amaya may be on cycle watch. He’d be the second Cubs catcher to cycle this season if he can manage a double and a single. Shortly after the review, top prospect Matt Shaw delivered the lead for a second time with this double:
We’ll see if the Marlins have a response cooking. Speaking of the NL Central, the Brewers merit watching on our board. They ran up a three-spot in the bottom of the second courtesy of some clutch two-out hitting.
While they’re still a ways off the Cubbies and Marlins, this Orioles team cannot stop giving up runs this season, so keep an eye out for the Brew Crew.
Update: 8:02 p.m. ET
The Marlins are back on top! Their rally in the bottom of the fifth put them ahead of the Cubs, and consequently on top of the leaderboard.
Jesús Sánchez, who homered to lead off the game, also slapped an RBI single to push the lead to 5-3. That gives Miami a two-run cushion over the field with Sánchez and Agustín Ramírez as our Kings. Keep an eye out for Chicago coming back in this one. The Astros and Red Sox also lie in the weeds with three runs apiece.
Update: 7:45 p.m. ET
That unquestioned lead for Victor Caratini and the Astros was short-lived. Cubs backup catcher Miguel Amaya had something to say:
That three-run shot tied the Cubs with Houston and Boston at the top of the board. That would make the two catchers, Amaya and Caratini, our leaders. But I have a sneaking suspicion that three runs won’t be the highest total on the board by the night’s end. Stay tuned.
Update: 7:30 p.m. ET
We’ve got some serious scoring in the early going. While the Marlins remain at two runs, they’re no longer the highest scoring team on the board.
Jarren Duran has been at the center of things for the Boston Red Sox, who have three runs in the early going:
The Houston Astros also have a trio of runs after the second inning. That rally got started with a solo home run by catcher Victor Caratini:
In the early going, Caratini is the leader for King of the Diamond, as the Red Sox have not hit a home run.
Update: 6:55 p.m. ET
Well, that didn’t take long. The Miami Marlins, in our first game of the slate, went yard in back-to-back at-bats to lead the game off! Things got started with this scorcher from Marlins outfielder Jesús Sánchez:
Then, young phenom catcher Agustín Ramírez LAUNCHED this ball into the night:
The Marlins remain up 2-0 in the early going. We’ll have more updates as the opening pitches keep rolling in.
Stay Tuned Here!
The King of the Diamond slate begins with the Cubs-Marlins and Reds-Pirates games at 6:40 p.m. Eastern Time. Check back here for updates throughout the Monday, May 19 slate!
Go here to check out Zach Thompson’s home run prop picks for tonight.
Last King of the Diamond
Wilmer Flores of the San Francisco Giants crushed two home runs and was the King of the Diamond this past Friday!
