Cardinals vs. Marlins: Biggest Storylines for MLB's Opening Night

Following the appetizer fans got last week in Japan, Major League Baseball officially gets underway on Wednesday night with the defending World Series Champions St. Louis Cardinals taking on the free-spending Miami Marlins in their new ballpark. 

While we could spend all day analyzing the lineups, pitching matchup, etc., we wanted to provide you with a look at the stories that we will be following for these teams tonight and the rest of the regular season. 

Here are the questions that we have about the Cardinals and Marlins before the first game of the season gets underway. 

How Will The Cardinals Fare Without Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa?

I'm not sure if you have heard, but Albert Pujols signed a pretty nice contract—if you like $250 million, I guess—to play with the Los Angeles Angels. 

The Cardinals did a good job this offseason of trying to offset that loss as best they could. Actually, they started planning for it last year, when they re-signed Lance Berkman to a one-year contract in September. 

Adding Carlos Beltran and keeping Matt Holliday and World Series hero David Freese healthy will keep the offense playing at the high level it was accustomed to with Pujols. 

They won't have one singular player who can change the game like Pujols, but the lineup is still very good in the middle. 

As for the manager, losing La Russa could actually be a blessing in disguise. He over-managed so many games last year, to the point where he was costing the team wins. 

The choice of Mike Matheny was odd, because he has no previous experience at any level. He is going to be on a big learning curve this year, and it will be interesting to see just how he handles the challenge. 

It's not impossible for Matheny to develop into a good manager, but the odds right now are stacked against him. 

How Much Better Will The Marlins Be?

After years of watching the overpriced free-agent market pass them by without making so much as a peep, the Marlins decided to go all-in with their money this offseason.

It started with spending a lot of money to sign Heath Bell, and it kept going when they gave a combined 10 years and $164 million to nab Jose Reyes and Mark Buerhle. 

Plus, they have the two human powder kegs known as Carlos Zambrano and Ozzie Guillen. 

While those five will get all the headlines early, the keys to this team's success are Hanley Ramirez, Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Johnson. 

Ramirez can be a game changer if he can get back to the production he showed from 2006-2010. Stanton could end up hitting 50 home runs in just his second full season. Johnson is as good as any pitcher in the game when healthy. 

Right now, they still look like the third-best team in the National League East. Injuries to their division rivals could change that, but unless Johnson makes 30 starts, the Marlins are in trouble. 

How Will The New Stadium Play For The Marlins?

After begging for a new place to play for years, the Marlins will open their new stadium on Wednesday night. 

The fans will be out in full force tonight, but whether or not they keep coming back is a mystery right now. Florida has never been a baseball hot bed, despite the Rays' success since 2008 and the two championships the Marlins have won. 

Plus, we have no idea what kind of ballpark this will be. Does it play more towards hitters or pitchers? Will the dimensions in the outfield help or hurt the defense?

It is an interesting stadium, particularly the fish tank behind the plate, but the most important question will be how the team adapts to its new surroundings. 

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